• Energy SecurityFrance Sets to Invest in Small Modular Nuclear Reactors

    By Lisa Louis

    France plans to invest in small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). Some experts question whether this is ecologically and economically sensible, but it may be that France’s interests in SMRs is as much about geopolitical strategy as it is about energy.

  • Energy SecurityIncreasing Hydrogen Energy Requires All Technologies to Be Pushed Forward

    No single hydrogen technology should be prioritized, says a new study, and the production, distribution, and use of hydrogen needs to be optimized.

  • DisastersExtreme Rain Heads for California’s Burn Scars, Raising the Risk of Mudslides – This Is What Cascading Climate Disasters Look Like

    By Amir AghaKouchak

    Wildfires strip away vegetation and leave the soil less able to absorb water. A downpour on these vulnerable landscapes can quickly erode the ground as fast-moving water carries debris and mud with it. Wildfires strip away vegetation and leave the soil less able to absorb water. A downpour on these vulnerable landscapes can quickly erode the ground as fast-moving water carries debris and mud with it. Such consecutive events lead to human disasters. Studies show climate change is raising the risk of multiple compound disasters.

  • Infrastructure ProtectionUrbanites Face Heightened Flood Risk as a Result of Forest Loss

    The devastating impact of flooding in Queensland’s north, exacerbated by forest loss, is badly affecting urban areas. Researchers found that deforestation near urban areas exposes these areas to much larger amounts of water flowing on the soil surface soon after a rainfall.

  • Climate ChallengesCanals Can Help the U.K. Cope with the Climate Problems

    The presence of canal water can cool urban areas by up to 1.6°C during heatwaves in a 100-metre-wide corridor along the waterway. Research shows that the U.K.’s 200-year-old canals offer huge ‘blue’ opportunities to help Britain tackle the climate change crisis by helping cool homes and businesses, mitigating floods, and generating electricity through hydro generators.

  • Climate ChallengesCities Worldwide Aren’t Adapting to Climate Change Quickly Enough

    By John Rennie Short

    Climate change is magnifying threats such as flooding, wildfires, tropical storms and drought. cities are quickly becoming more vulnerable to extreme weather events and permanent shifts in their climate zones. The problem is that the pace of climate change is accelerating much more rapidly than urban areas are taking steps to adapt to it.

  • CybersecurityCISA, FBI, NSA Release BlackMatter Ransomware Advisory

    CISA, the FBI, and the NSA published a cybersecurity advisory regarding BlackMatter ransomware cyber intrusions targeting multiple U.S. critical infrastructure entities, including two U.S. food and agriculture sector organizations.

  • Coastal ChallengesHow Marsh Grass Protects Shorelines

    By David L. Chandler

    As climate change brings greater threats to coastal ecosystems, new research can help planners leverage the wave-damping benefits of marsh plants.

  • EarthquakesShakeOut 2021: Earthquake Awareness Helps Community Preparedness

    Nearly half of Americans are exposed to potentially damaging earthquakes where they work and live. Still others will be at risk when traveling. It’s a good idea for everyone, everywhere to know how to protect themselves during an earthquake.

  • Flood ProtectionFighting Floods with Restoration Versus Riprap

    While both natural and man-made systems have their limits, gray infrastructure—seawalls, jetties, levees—comes with high maintenance costs, can increase erosion, or may even unintentionally retain water. Incorporating green infrastructure—beaches, dunes, islands, wetlands—into flood protection plans alongside gray infrastructure can shield communities, reduce maintenance, and provide additional social and environmental benefits.

  • DisastersU.S. Hit with $18 Billion Weather and Climate Disasters So Far This Year

    The United States saw an unprecedented eighteen separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the first nine months of the year, September 2021 was the 5th-warmest September on record.

  • Water SecurityMaking Desalinated Water Safer, Cheaper

    Approximately 80 percent of drinking water in Israel is desalinated water, coming from the Mediterranean Sea. Israeli scientists and colleagues develop an effective and low-cost way to remove toxic boron from water in the process of desalination.

  • LandslidesUrban Areas More Likely to Have Precipitation-Triggered Landslides

    Urban areas may be at greater risk for precipitation-triggered landslides than rural areas, according to a new study that could help improve landslide predictions and hazard and risk assessments. Researchers found that urban landslide hazard was up to 10 times more sensitive to variations in precipitation than in rural areas.

  • Energy SecurityAssessing Global Electricity Generation Potential from Rooftop Solar Photovoltaics

    The first detailed global assessment of the electricity generation potential of rooftop solar photovoltaics (PV) technology has important implications for sustainable development and climate change mitigations efforts.

  • Cybersecurity“Self-Aware' Algorithm Wards Off Hacking Attempts

    In 2010, the Stuxnet virus was used to damage nuclear centrifuges in Iran. Researchers have come up with a powerful response: to make the computer models that run these cyberphysical systems both self-aware and self-healing.